1.Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to window barriers, and more particularly, to a removable window guard to prevent small children and animals from exiting through a window.
2.Description of Related Art
It is well known that there are many dangers facing small children in a house. One such hazard is an open window. Children may exit through a window, without the knowledge or supervision of an adult. Obviously, serious and sometimes tragic results can occur if a child falls through a window located on an upper floor.
Many devices have been used to prevent a child from exiting through a window. For example, window screens are sometimes used to provide a barrier to prevent children from exiting a window. However, window screens are used primarily to prevent insects from entering into a house. The window screens do not provide the structural strength necessary to confidently prevent small children from exiting out a window.
Additionally, window grills permanently affixed to the outside window frame have been utilized as a barrier. However, these window grills do not provide for quick and easy removal. Additionally, the window grills primarily prevent unauthorized entry into a house, and are not for the express purpose of preventing small children from leaving through a window. The window grills suffer from the disadvantage of being difficult to install, and equally difficult to remove. A barrier is needed which provides the structural support necessary to prevent children from exiting the window, easily removable from both sides of the window by an adult, and simple to operate and install.
Although there are no known prior art teachings of a solution to the aforementioned deficiency and shortcoming such as that disclosed herein, prior art references that discuss subject matter that bears some relation to matters discussed herein are U.S. Pat. No. 2,222,667 to Kitzelman (Kitzelman), U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,732 to Andersen (Andersen), U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,415 to Boiling et al. (Bolling), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,074 to Tracy (Tracy).
Kitzelman discloses a removable grill attached to a window frame. The grill includes a plurality of vertical bars welded to a plurality of horizontal bars. The left-hand ends of the horizontal bars include a series of hinge devices for affixing the horizontal bars to the window frame. The right-hand ends of the horizontal bars are attached through a sleeve which is held in place by screws. The grill may be removed by unscrewing the screws on the sleeve of each horizontal bar. Kitzelman does not teach or suggest an easily removable window guard. Kitzelman merely discloses a grill which is permanently attached to a window. Kitzelman suffers from the disadvantage of the window grill being difficult to remove, such as during a time of an emergency.
Andersen discloses a safety barrier adapted to be removably secured between two opposing supports. The barrier includes a frame structure and an openable gate. The frame structure includes a rigid lower horizontally extending beam and a vertically extending pillar located on a side of the beam. The gate is hinged to one side of the pillar and to a grid on the other side. The frame structure is secured between supports by expanding securing means, with the gate having a locking device expandable against one of the supports. Andersen suffers from the disadvantage of utilizing an expanding securing means which does not securely and safely affix the barrier to the opposing supports. A child may apply enough force to push the barrier away from the supporting members.
Bolling discloses a child safety window screen for preventing a child from falling through a window. The safety window screen includes an elongated top rail extended across a frame of an opened window, an elongated bottom rail offset from the top rail and extended across a frame of an open window, and a screen coupled between the top rail and bottom rail to create an extended configuration of shielding for an open window. However, Bolling does not teach or suggest a means for easily removing the safety screen from the window. Bolling merely discloses affixing the safety screen to the window with screws.
Tracy discloses a window guard having a pair of mounting brackets mounted to the window. In addition, end caps are interconnected to a first wire subassembly and a second wire subassembly. The end caps are removably attached to the first and second mounting brackets. The first and second wire subassemblies are slidably interconnected allowing the window guard to fit many different sized openings. At least one emergency release button mounted on the first mounting bracket and engaging the end cap allows for disassembly of the window guard in emergency exit situations. Tracy does not teach or suggest a simple means for securely affixing the window guard to the window frame. Tracy discloses complicated and expensive brackets to affix the window guard to the window frame. Additionally, Tracy does not teach or suggest a simple means of removing the window guard from outside the window. Tracy discloses an emergency release button which is only accessible from inside the house, preventing emergency personnel outside the window, from removing the window guard.
Review of each of the foregoing references reveals no disclosure or suggestion of an apparatus as that described and claimed herein. Thus, it would be a distinct advantage to have a simple and inexpensive apparatus which prevents children from exiting through a window, while being easily removable from either side of the window. It is an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus.